A Tale of Two Football Teams
The Michigan team we saw in yesterday’s Penn State game characterizes the entire 2008 Michigan season into 60 minutes. Michigan played like “world-beaters” through the first 17 minutes of the game, sputtered on the ensuing first half drives, and allowed an “oh by-the way” score at the end of the half that lead to the landslide victory for the Nittany Lions by giving up 32 points in the second half and being held scoreless. Even as I sat at half with a 3 point Michigan lead, I was still very anxious and uneasy. I felt that if the slightest thing goes wrong in the second half of the game this could quickly go to H-E-double hockey sticks in a hurry. I didn’t expect that we would win the game. However, with the way that we played in the first half it is just difficult to understand why there is such a disparity between the first quarter’s Michigan offense and that of the rest of the game. This is most definitely due in large part to our inexperienced young players and their inconsistency but it also has to be attributed to teams’ adjusting to our offensive scheme. In the Utah, Illinois, Miami (OH), and Penn State games the offense looked very proficient early and after adjustments were made we were unable to establish anything in the form of offense for the most part. What is the reason for this disparity? Are teams’ adjustments so devastating to whatwe are trying to do that we are completely stifled? In all my years of watching football, I have never seen a team look so efficient like they can beat any team in the country and the next minute look incapable of gaining a yard or tackling anyone.
However, I felt encouraged by the effort that the boys gave in the first half and it seems as though some issues may have been solved this week in practice and progress is being made. In particular, it looks as though Brandon Minor will be seeing more time for the remainder of the season and deservedly so. Sam and Brandon being complements of each other will be a joy to watch in the future.
Remember. We are still Michigan. These are still Michigan men. There has never been a period in Michigan football history in which the saying “Those who stay will be champions,” applies so well. Go Blue.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:43 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 4:49 PM ^
It's hard for me to draw much from our second-half offensive failures the last two weeks (as well as against Miami-Oh) because both times Sheridan came in at QB. Very few teams can lose their starting QB and continue their usual offensive production. Usually, their offense goes right into the toilet (see: Oregon, WVU and Michigan last year). Making it worse is that Sheridan's skill level is extremely low, and that there are only a handful of plays he can execute with any success, so defenses know exactly what to expect as soon as he's in there. I think that if Threet had remained healthy and had played all four quarters each of the last two weeks, we'd have beaten Toledo and have scored somewhat more against PSU, but it's impossible to know for sure.
BTW, I disagree about our offense looking good against Utah in the early going. Our first half against them was almost as bad as the Wisconsin first half, only we capitalized on a couple of Utah mistakes. We gained like 35 yards on our two first-half scoring drives. Our TD came after they muffed a punt deep in their own territory.
October 19th, 2008 at 4:57 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 5:23 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 7:55 PM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 10:04 AM ^
....we probably dont beat PSU had Threet played and was healthy all 4 quarters.....but we probably stay in the game the whole way through.
Most importantly.......they would have covered the spread.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:14 AM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 11:17 AM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 11:18 AM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 11:24 AM ^
October 21st, 2008 at 1:25 PM ^
There are clear parallels between the two games. Your assertion that it wasn't the other team adusting to us, but a different QB or a hurt QB, could work for Penn State but not for Illinois. Illinois is a good counter-example to your theory because it removes the variable. Threet was fine that whole game. Same result, early success and then carnage.
Yes, it is possible that the PSU result was all because of Nick Sheridan, but that then opens the door for what the heck happened with the Illini? Or we go with Occam's Razor, and say that our coaching staff isn't terribly good at adustments this season. Maybe there isn't anything to adjust too, the team just isn't that good.
Another support for the adjustments theory... we've scored 7 points in the 3rd quarter all season. 7. I'm not entirely sure what that says, but it certainly doesn't support the argument that our coaching staff is comprised of evil football geniuses. They are clearly being outmaneuvered, albeit with inferior personnel and not by Bret Bielema.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:46 PM ^
October 21st, 2008 at 4:09 PM ^
Sheridan is miserable. But he doesn't play defense. Nor has he played every 3rd quarter this season in which we only scored 7 points total (which I notice you skipped right over.) Nor is he on the coaching staff, which ...
Wait a minute... this is your Baghdad Bob impersonation, isn't it? Cute.
October 21st, 2008 at 4:22 PM ^
When did I say a word about defense?
You want to use Occam's Razor? How about this: All of Michigan's offense came with Threet on the field. Before getting injured, the offense had a single 3 and out. After Threet got injured, every drive resulted in a three-and-out, save the final, irrelevant drive. You want to talk about Occam's Razor?
October 21st, 2008 at 4:55 PM ^
I get it that you don't think Penn State adjusted. I believe it was a combination of them adjusting and Sheridan not being good. That's the only place we differ on that game.
If you don't think Illinois made successful adjustments, or think that prior games aren't relevant, that's your business.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:16 PM ^
Did I say Illinois didn't make adjustments?
October 19th, 2008 at 6:25 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 6:34 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 6:57 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 7:06 PM ^
October 19th, 2008 at 7:15 PM ^
Well, look at the NFL. How many first string QBs have missed time so far this season? I think it's at least 4. How many have been injured, but played through injuries? I know of at least 2 more. None of these are running quarterbacks.
All you have pointed is that we had a long string of time without injuring any of our quarterbacks. Basically, we got lucky. Then when our luck ran out, Henne missed about 4-5 games worth of playing time. UCLA has injured 4 quarterbacks in the past 3 months and none of them were running QBs. They got unlucky.
Yes, running quarterbacks have the potential to be injured. Dropback passers do as well. Is one injury rate greater than the other? No one has any evidence that there is a difference. All people have are anecdotes: look at Oregon, look at UCLA, look at Griese/Brady, look at Henne.
October 19th, 2008 at 9:47 PM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 11:33 AM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 11:50 AM ^
October 20th, 2008 at 5:28 PM ^
The NFL is a different animal. NFL defenses are so fast and physical that QBs are going to get mauled no matter what. NFL refs will flag "late hits" a quarter of a second after a throw and that still isn't enough to protect QBs from injury.
From 1993 to 2006 - fourteen seasons - we never had a starting QB miss time due to an injury suffered during a game. (Driesbach got hurt in practice, and Henson got hurt over the summer, possibly while playing baseball). That's more than just a lucky streak, if you ask me. By contrast, during the 1970s and '80s, when the option was a part of our offense, our QBs got hurt every now and then. I pretty much expect the same with the RR offense. However, I also expect our offense to be far more productive than the Carr offenses, with their usual scoring averages in the 20's, so the tradeoff may well be worth it.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:35 PM ^
I could argue Gutierrez in 2004, but I think Henne was probably better anyway. So I won't. But I could. But won't. Could. Won't.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:43 PM ^
Comments